Budget Issues
Background
The majority of money used by DDRC to provide DD services is appropriated by the State of Colorado and, of course, its citizens. This is often matched with Federal Medicaid dollars. Starting January 1, 2004, an additional half mill has been added to the property tax in Jefferson County to improve and provide additional services. DDRC also gets Medicaid match for a portion of that money, based on what services it is used for. The county money is pretty much committed to ongoing programs. So it is imperative that the state budget provide some measure of annual increase to cover normal cost increases each year.
The Colorado General Assembly lays out the details of the state appropriation each year in legislation. Budget years run from July 1st through June 30th and specific funding amounts are typically set by the legislature during the spring months prior to the beginning of the fiscal year. For example, at present, we are in the second half of the 2005/2006 fiscal year. The budget for this timeframe was established by the legislature in the spring of 2005. Note further down this page actions taken by the JBC for this current year. However, new resources that were appropriated in this legislative session to serve people on the waiting list, have been delayed, possibly up to a year by a new requirement by CMS, the federal Medicaid agency.
There is a major issue in the DD system this year created by a challenge from the federal agency which handles Medicaid funding, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The entire DD system is taken up full (and over) time in addressing the resulting requirements. Our Hot Documents Page provides links to information providing some clarification of these issues.
What Can Families Do?
- Monitor this site. We will continue to pass on the latest budget developments.
- Follow the budget situation in the Rocky Mountain News and Denver Post.
- Get to know your Colorado Legislators. Each citizen has one State Senator and one State Representative. Call the County Clerk’s Office of the county in which you reside. When given your address they can tell you your house and senate district and most times tell you the names of your representatives.
Jefferson County Clerk – 303.271.8111
Gilpin County Clerk – 303.582.5321
Clear Creek County Clerk – 303.679.2339
Summit County Clerk – 970.453.3479
- Another method is to go to vote-smart.org on the internet and click on the Candidate Issues and Much More button. This requires entering your zip code plus four digits. This is not as accurate as calling your county clerk.
- Also, if you go to this page at The Arc, you can click on legislators web pages and/or send them email.
- We suggest you check this link at DDRC for tips on communicating with your legislator.
2006 - 2007 Budget Year
The budget process for each fiscal year is described on the Legislature's Joint Budget Committee website at this page. Briefing documents can be obtained by going to this page. Go back to the Hot Documents page for a link to get the JBC Staff Recommendations in pdf format. The questions for the Department of Human Services to present their response is printed as the Budget Hearing Document which will be available after January 4. The Joint Budget Committee has begun deliberations to begin preparing for development of the 2006/2007 budget to be presented to the full Legislature in the early Spring of 2006. The Developmental Disabilities Briefing of the JBC will be held on December 21, presently scheduled for 2 PM. Those times get changed so should be checked the last few days before the 21st. It is always good to get a good crowd of family members to attend the meetings. There is also a schedule of January 4 for the JBC hearing on the DD budget, presently planned for 9 AM.
The DD budget for 2005-2006 was adopted with a Provider Rate increase of 2% for DD and Mental Health. New resources were provided for people aging out of children's foster care. The Children's Extensive Services program was funded to eliminate the waiting list this year. The 50% cut in Family Support Services taken away the year before was restored for this year. Legislators listened to the concerns of the DD community and were able to do some really good things this year, and the passage of Referendum C should assure they will not be pulled back, as they have been in some past years.
Another activity of the moment is a challenge by federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to the present DD system in Colorado, with a threat to stop funding the program July 1 if certain changes are not made. A meeting with the Joint Budget Committee to discuss those changes with the Departments of Human Services and Health Care Policy and Financing as well as CCB's is scheduled for 2PM on March 22.
Referendum C passed in November, 2005, allowing the state to retain taxes collected for 5 years, beginning in 2005, above the limits of the Tabor Amendment. This should forestall any further cuts in DD programs for the next couple of years and hopefully will result in restoration of some cuts made in the past few years. There are still no resources provided for Comprehensive Services to people on the waiting list unless they fit in the categories of "emergency" or already in "foster care". Five years ago and before, the state always furnished some, although limited, resources to take people off the waiting list. Due to budgetary constraints, they have made the decision to not provide any of those resources for the past 5 years. Hopefully, we can get that back on the agenda as a normal course of business. Otherwise, people face 80 years by some estimates on the waiting list which means there is no waiting list.
A major positive for people in Jefferson County with developmental disabilities was passage of the mill levy increase which provided over $3.6 million in new funding for each calendar year. A very inclusive process was used to obtain input from as many people as possible and to work toward the Board's final adoption of the plan for those funds. Due to those additional county mill levy funds, we are able to generate another $1.3 million per year through federal Medicaid Match, thereby allowing additional services in Comprehensive (residential, day and transportation programs), Supported Living, Case Management and a new program of Behavioral Health.
